Portable power sources of various types have been under development for many years. A serious need exists for portable power sources with significantly higher power density, longer operating lifetime, and lower cost. Present rechargeable and primary portable power sources have excessive weight, size, and cost with limited mission duration. For example, batteries covering power range from 1-200 Watts have specific energies ranging from 50-250 Whr/Kg, which represents two to three hours of operation for a variety of applications.
Aspects of the invention include a method comprising the steps of: patterning a package material into a preform layout; forming a package from the package material into a plurality of layers comprising at least a fuel reservoir interface layer, a layer containing a plurality of resistive heating elements, a microporous flow host structure layer containing a fuel cell, and a cap layer; and incorporating microchannels into the package.
Further aspects of the invention include a fuel cell package comprising: a first layer having a current input, a fuel inlet and a first plurality of electrical leads connected to the current input; a second layer having an anode manifold support structure, a fuel flow passage connecting to the fuel inlet and a fuel outlet; a third layer having a manifold support beam, a resistive heater support structure, a fuel flow passage, an air flow inlet connecting to an air flow passage, and a resistive heater connecting to each of the first plurality of electrical leads; a fourth layer having a fuel flow passage, an air flow passage, and a microporous flow host structure containing a thin film fuel cell formed from an electrolyte sandwiched between an anode and a cathode; a fifth layer having an air manifold connecting to the air flow passage in the fourth layer, a fuel flow passage, an anode electrical feedthrough, and a cathode electrical feedthrough; a sixth layer having an air flow passage connected to the air manifold in the fifth layer, a fuel flow passage, an anode electrical feedthrough and a cathode electrical feedthrough; and a seventh layer having an air flow passage, a fuel flow passage, an anode electrical feedthrough and a cathode electrical feedthrough; wherein, a resistive electrical feedthrough and an electrical feedthrough connected to a ground communicates through each of the layers.
Further aspects of the invention include a fuel cell package comprising: a first layer having a current input, a fuel inlet and a first plurality of electrical leads connected to the current input; a second layer having an anode manifold support structure, a fuel flow passage connecting to the fuel inlet and a fuel outlet; a third layer having a manifold support beam, a resistive heater support structure, a fuel flow passage, and a resistive heater connecting to each of the first plurality of electrical leads; a fourth layer having a fuel flow passage and a microporous flow host structure containing a thin film fuel cell formed from an electrolyte sandwiched between an anode and a cathode; a fifth layer having an air containing means to allow air to breath into the fuel cell package, a fuel flow passage, an anode electrical feedthrough, and a cathode electrical feedthrough; a sixth layer, a fuel flow passage, an anode electrical feedthrough and a cathode electrical feedthrough; and a seventh layer having a fuel flow passage, an anode electrical feedthrough and a cathode electrical feedthrough; wherein, a resistive electrical feedthrough and an electrical feedthrough connected to a ground communicates through each of the layers.